Saturday, December 11, 2010

Just 2 weeks until Christmas

I painted these portraits of Julie T-W's daughter Brookie a month or so ago but didn't want to show them - I gave one of them to Julie and she showed it on her blog so I can now reveal them. Above is sweet little Brookie in her Belle Halloween outfit.

In the photo for this one, her teeshirt had lots of printing on it but I was simplifying the picture a bit. I really enjoyed the portraiture class that I took this fall - I have to admit that I would never have attempted portraits before it but now find them a good challenge and lots of fun.

Today has been a super day with lovely warm and sunny weather. I worked at the gift shop this morning but this afternoon I have made fudge, mixed up batter for cut-out cookies (dough is in the fridge - they will get cut out tomorrow), watched Barefoot in London on FoodTV, and finished my seasonal wall piece. It is hard to get the textural feel in photos and also the gelatin sequins don't shine in the photo like they do in real life.

I hung the piece on the wall behind my tree of birds.

I have been making some plans (intentions) for 2011 - it will be the Year of Living Abundantly - a year where I appreciate and use what I already have and where I spend very little. I have found a couple of sketch book challenge blogs that I plan to follow, and I have been making notes about crafts/projects on which I want to focus. I am putting together some kits for myself - rediscovering things in boxes and bins in my studio - I guess you could call them FOUND OBJECTS - a sketching kit, a fabric work kit, paper kits, paint kits. I plan to paint even more next year and return to some of my previous loves - fabric creations (including quilting), beading, and knitting; but you will also see plenty of scrapbooking pages and altered projects. It's going to be a fun and creative year!!!!!!!

And now it's time for me to start the Chicken and Leek pot pie for dinner - I am adapting a recipe that I saw on Jamie Oliver's Holiday program that was on one night this past week. I love Jamie Oliver's style and put one of his cookbooks on my Christmas list. We'll see............

Speaking of cookbooks, what's your favorite and are there any ones you want? I love the Barefoot Contessa cookbooks and although I don't own any, I get them from the library from time to time. Another favorite is Mark Bittman's (he writes the Minimalist cooking column for the New York Times) How To Cook Everything; and I love Apples for Jam by Tessa Kiros (I have a couple more of hers on my list - it's a long list as I like to give Dan and Brian lots of choices - LOL!). The photos just make me drool! I have been thinking about adding a book list in the sidebar - maybe cookbooks, craft books, favorite novels, what I'm reading right now - what do you think?

Hope your day is as great as mine is, and thanks for reading!
ttfnChris

Oooh, what a beautiful paintings, I love them!!! Bet Julie loves them!! Love how your fabric art turned out it's gorgeous!!I also love your idea of making kits and use what you already have, maybe I will try that as well!!And my fave cookbook (at the moment) is Jamie goes USA!! We love Jamie Oliver he has a restaurant in Amsterdam (15, where he educates young people) and we would love to go there sometime!!! His latest book, 30 min, is on my wishlist!!!!

You have noooooooooooooo idea how much I LOVEEEEEEEEEEEEE those portraits of Brookie!! They are just BEAUTIFUL!! Thank you for capturing her!!! I loveeeeeeeeeee the quilted wall hanging too!!! And believe it or not....I actually loveeeeeeeeeeeee crock pot cookbooks!!! With it being so hot here, I loveeeeeeee cooking in one! :):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):)

Your paintings are stunning Chris! Wow, you really are becoming a painting artists! Portraits are so hard to paint, and you did soooo well!!! I saw it was Brookie right away, you did a stunning job!!! Love your fabric piece too! And cookbooks? No thanks... I rather read novels or biographies... I'm a lousy cook (so you think I'd need them, LOL!) and I spend as LESS time in the kitchen as possible...

Oh my....those paintings are amazingly beautiful Chris! You captured Brookie so well...WOW!!I really admire you for your skills!Love your quilt wall hanger...beautiful!Sounds like a fantastic year to come Chris! Lots of art! And I love books, but I'm not much of a cook either...but a list of books sounds so cool, I've read the Hunger Games you recommended...so I would love a list of your fave books!